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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12th
February to Question 218262 on UK-France Migration Committee, for what reason the
dates and locations of those meetings were not provided in the answer.

<p>As previously advised in the response to Question 218262, the UK-France Migration
Committee meets on a bi-monthly basis and is hosted alternately by the UK Home Office
and French Interior Ministry. It is not Home Office policy to release detailed information
on meetings that ministers and/or officials attend</p><p><br>As regards payments to
the French Government, no additional payments have been made beyond those detailed
in the response to Question 217548, dated 12th February 2019.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12
February 2019 to Question 217548 on Human Trafficking and Immigration: France, whether
any other payments in cash or kind have been made to France in connection with (a)
border security, (b) infrastructure and (c) countering organised crime and people
trafficking in addition to those set out in that answer.

<p>As previously advised in the response to Question 218262, the UK-France Migration
Committee meets on a bi-monthly basis and is hosted alternately by the UK Home Office
and French Interior Ministry. It is not Home Office policy to release detailed information
on meetings that ministers and/or officials attend</p><p><br>As regards payments to
the French Government, no additional payments have been made beyond those detailed
in the response to Question 217548, dated 12th February 2019.</p>

<p>UK Visas &amp; Immigration closed no Visa Application Centres in Africa between
2017 and 2019. However, in the same period we opened additional centres in Kenya (Mombasa),
Morocco (Casablanca) and Algeria (Oran). We have also introduced an annual Visa Application
Centre in the Seychelles for our customers applying for student visas.</p>

<p>Information about additional hours worked by staff is not held centrally and could
only be provided at disproportionate cost. Flexible work arrangements are available
for staff to work outside core hours when necessary, e.g. flexi time, time off in
lieu or for operational units Annualised Hours Work as an alternative to overtime.
However, these arrangements are processed and monitored locally.</p>

<p>Government is supporting increased levels of IT literacy through the refresh of
the Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Framework, which sets out the skills learners require
to be safe, legal and confident online, and find, manage, and store digital information
securely, thereby helping them guard against malware and ransomware. The EDS framework
is the basis of the training delivered through the £18m ‘Future Digital Inclusion’
programme. Delivered by a network of 5,000 Online Centres, which are primarily based
in libraries and other community spaces, this programme has supported over 1 million
adult learners since 2014 to develop essential digital skills.</p><p>Government is
also supporting IT literacy through the introduction of a national entitlement to
basic digital skills courses from 2020, similar to the existing legal entitlements
for English and Maths. This will provide adults of any age the opportunity to undertake
improved qualifications, based on the EDS framework, free of charge.</p><p>Government
is also supporting cyber security through Cyber Aware; a campaign which aims to increase
UK citizens’ and businesses’ resilience to cyber crime by encouraging the adoption
of secure online behaviours. Key promoted advice includes, to always install your
e-device’s latest app and software updates to make it less vulnerable to cyber threats.</p><p>In
addition, the flagship skills programme GDS Academy teaches civil servants the digital
skills, awareness and knowledge they need to transform and build the best public services.
It offers training in subjects including agile project delivery and user-centred design.
The GDS Academy runs across the country, with courses in Leeds, London, Manchester
and Newcastle, as well as a partnership with the Scottish Government. More than 10,000
civil servants have been trained since it was set up in 2014.</p><p>Departments have
built their digital professionalism and capability, with over 10,000 civil servants
now having been trained by the GDS Academy; new standards have made services across
government consistent, accessible and intuitive; and departments have delivered exemplar
digital services.</p><p> </p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to local councils for
the provision of (a) support and (b) advice to families and young people in a financial
crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has
made of the adequacy of the stop and search powers available to Merseyside Police
officers who suspect an individual of carrying a knife.

<p>Stop and search is a vital policing tool when used correctly and officers have
the Government's full support to use these powers in a way that is fair, lawful and
effective.</p><p>Under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the
police in England and Wales have the power to stop and search someone if they have
reasonable grounds to suspect they are in possession of an offensive weapon, including
a bladed article - such as a knife.</p><p>Under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice
and Public Order Act 1994, the police in England and Wales have the power to put in
place temporary “no-suspicion” stop and search zones – if they reasonably believe
that incidents involving serious violence may take place in that locality during that
time period. When this power is authorised, police can search anyone within that area
without requiring reasonable grounds to search each person.</p><p>In March 2019, the
Government announced that it would roll back additional controls on the use of Section
60 powers to make it easier for officers in seven forces, including Merseyside Police,
to authorise this power – to help forces further target the recent increases in serious
violence.</p><p>Whilst it is important for the police to have the right powers, they
also need the resources to use them. This is why we are also supporting police with
additional funding. On 13 March 2019 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £100
million fund to tackle serious violence. £63.4 million of this funding has already
been allocated to 18 police forces, including Merseyside Police which received £4.2
million, to support surge operational activity, such as increased patrols.</p><p>This
money is already being put to good use. The BBC recently reported that Merseyside
had recovered 14 knives in a single week following stop and searches.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps his Department is taking to ensure that families and young people have access
to the help they need when faced with a financial crisis.